Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 10:38:59 -0400 Reply-To: GrinnyP@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Carol Ann Liddiard Subject: "Origins" Chapter 1, part 2 Seattle, 1995 Duncan felt like he was floating in a black void. Faintly he heard a light feminine voice. Although he could not quite understand the words, he recognized the voice from earlier. The voice seemed to grow louder and he could make out some phrases ". . . you will report to your colleagues. . . ", ". . . you have taken care of . . . ", ". . . watcher killed . . .." Duncan frowned. He was beginning to feel the aches and pains from his recent experience. Sounds were growing more distinct and he could hear the clatter of footsteps slowly receding. "Duncan, wake up." The voice seemed to be coming from right above his head. "Open your eyes, MacLeod." Duncan opened his eyes and a familiar face swam into view. "Are we dead?" he asked weakly. "No, we're not dead, but we will be if you don't get up and get moving. Once he reports to the watchers they'll swarm this place." Carol gave Duncan an impatient look and tugged on his shirt. "Come on, get up." Duncan sat up abruptly, nearly knocking her over, and shook his head. "I saw them shoot you. Why aren't you dead?" Carol made a fist and thumped her chest producing a muffled, hollow thud. "Bullet proof vest. We don't have much time. Once news of your death reaches them, the second team will move on Richie. We have to go now!" In a graceful motion Duncan rose to his feet. He courteously extended a hand and helped her off the floor. "What do you mean the second team? And why would they think I'm dead? What did you do to that man?" Dusting herself off, Carol headed for the door. "I'll explain on the way. We only have about a 30 minute head start." A sudden move by Duncan stopped her progress. His fingers digging into her upper arms, he swung her around. "I'm not moving until I get more of an explanation than that." "Look, time is a precious commodity right now. If I wanted you dead I could have killed you at any time, I certainly know how, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod." She looked at him calmly. "Now I haven't given you much reason to trust me, but if you don't believe anything else I'm going to tell you, believe this." She emphasized the point by poking him in the chest. "If we don't get to Richie's _now_, they will try the same ambush on him, and there will be no one there to help him." Duncan realized that in his anger he had lifted her several inches off the ground. He set her down abruptly and turned away, disgusted with himself for using force on someone so small. Turning back towards her he said, "All right, for now. But I want an explanation on our way to Richie's." "All I ask is that we get moving. Every minute we stand here arguing, the trap is getting closer to being sprung." She turned again and ran for the door, Duncan hot on her heels. --------------------- Egoitza, @10,900 BCE The 'miracle' child grew up strong and healthy with her quick healing ability and advanced immune system. When she was old enough to begin training, the Seer asked for -- and received -- permission to be the child's mentor. She trained with others her age, younger ones who were born Changed, and older ones who had been Changed by Wise One. Within a generation, however, all the children born into the tribe were Changed, and then much of the advanced mental training needed to receive quickenings was abandoned as unnecessary. Song worked hard, but she never did become the great talent everyone had predicted at birth. Instead, she gravitated towards crafts, and became known among the tribe for her beautiful, decorative basket work and pottery. At her adulthood ceremony when she turned 17, she was given the way to complete her Change, to stop the aging process. At this ceremony she also made her claim for Baretasun, and they joined at the mating ceremony. The tribe rejoiced at the union of two of the first Born Changed and a week long festival ensued. Alone in the shadows, the Seer mutely watched the ceremony. She no longer tried to look through the darkness, or give warnings that were ignored. Instead, she set in motion certain plans of her own. --------------------- Seattle, 1995 Duncan and Carol moved swiftly out the door towards the convertible. Duncan got in and revved the engine, giving Carol only moments to jump in before he pulled out of the parking lot. "So, we're on our way to Richie's place. Now start explaining." "The girl Richie is out with tonight is an agent of the Watchers, someone who isn't a full member and who doesn't have a tattoo, sort of a provisional member. Her mission is to let him 'convince' her to come home with him." Carol leaned over the seat and pulled out a bag she had secreted in the back. She removed some dark clothing from the bag and proceeded to unbutton her jacket. "Of course, there will be a little 'surprise' waiting for him. We need to arrive before the strike team gets their orders." She shed the jacket and shoulder holster and started unbuttoning her blouse. "They won't move on him until that man brings them the news of your death. Once they get the word, Richie's a goner." She discarded the blouse and the bullet ridden kevlar vest. Duncan spied a spring knife harness strapped to her forearm as she pulled a black sweater over her head. "Part of their long range plan depends on getting the two of you out of their way." Oblivious to the dangerous speeds Duncan was attaining, Carol kicked off her high heels and reached under her skirt to remove her slip and pantyhose. Duncan swerved into another lane, nearly hitting a car as he focused on the quick change act going on in his front seat. He decided to concentrate on staying on the road and in one piece. "What plan? Why do the watchers want us dead? And you still haven't answered my first question, what did you do to that man?" By this time Carol had discarded hose, slip, and skirt, and was trying to wiggle into a pair of nondescript black jeans. "Have you ever heard of post-hypnotic suggestion? What I did to him was very similar. With the right combination of drugs and a good trance you can place detailed memories in a person. Usually you would want more time to create such a complex story, but what I managed should be enough to convince them. I 'convinced' the man that he killed you." Carol replaced the shoulder holster, pulling out what looked like a .38. "And they're not exactly Watchers. They're working for the Hunters." She snapped open the cylinder, gave it a cursory look, and snapped it shut. Duncan smiled grimly. "I guess I should be grateful because you saved my life, but you still haven't explained why they are doing this, beyond the obvious. Or, for that matter, who _they_ are, who _you_ are and how you know all this." "How I know is a long story." Carol replaced the gun and continued to strap on weaponry, never missing a beat. "As for what I know, I know the Hunters have been planning for well over 20 years to take over the Watcher organization. They've very slowly and very carefully 'gotten rid of' key people in the organization and replaced them with their own, or people who are more sympathetic to their cause. Not obviously, but a little heart attack here, a little car accident there, nothing that would raise suspicion. This is all part of a *really* long range plan." Carol rummaged in the bag, muttering to herself, "Where is that damn belt?" She drew out a curious belt with several strange objects attached and cinched it around her waist. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, their plan. About 2 years ago, their leadership decided that you were getting a little too close to Joe Dawson for comfort. They worried that when they sprang their little surprise that you would notice something wrong and try to investigate. After all, if Joe died suddenly I'm sure you would try to look into his death, even if it did appear to be an accident. And a secondary reason is that they just couldn't stand the idea of one of you 'abominations' running around with that much knowledge of their organization." Duncan continued to concentrate on the road, increasing his speed. "Yes, that's why they killed Darius." A spasm of pain crossed his face as he thought of Darius, slaughtered like an animal in his own church, . "So if they just killed me, Richie would stick his nose into the whole mess. I presume that once Richie and I are out of the way, they could proceed with their plan to take over the Watchers. Even so, I think that our deaths would look suspicious to Joe, don't you?" "Of course, but they're planning to place the blame on an evil immortal, someone they killed last year." A profound expression of sadness crossed her face. "They managed to get to the auxiliary watchers who were assigned to you and Richie, men that Dawson trusts implicitly. He'll believe them when they report first you and then Richie dead. By the time he realized something was wrong, _if_ he ever did, it would be too late." She noted the street they were driving down. "Good, we're nearly there. Take a right and park a few blocks away so the spotter doesn't see us." Several blocks from the apartment, Duncan shut off the engine and let the car coast soundlessly into a shadowed alley. "So, do you know what they plan when they have taken over the Watchers?" Grim scenarios played themselves out in is head. "They'll start to go after more immortals, won't they." He made it a statement rather than a question. Carol nodded. "They have a nasty little plan that involves selectively selling information to the highest bidder. They plan to share their computer archives and all their little secrets and in return they get help with money, weapons, tracking resources. I don't think you really need a nasty organization with those kind of resources hunting you down, do you?" Duncan looked stunned as the implications sunk in. "People from all over the world will know about us, what we are and how to kill us." He paused, shaken. "It will become open season on immortals." --------------------- /Notes/ The Council of the Herrialdaketa evolved, like most governments, out of a need to organize once the tribe grew beyond a few families. It was not a "democratic" government per se. The council (Herrikontseilu, literally "council of the people") consisted of representatives of the family groups within the tribe, and representatives of the permanent groups such as the healers. These zinegotzi (council members) were appointed by their various families or -- in the case of the groups like the healers -- the head of the group was usually appointed. Then the council members would elect a Lehen Zinegotzi (council leader) whose major function was to guide and moderate the meetings. There were no limits on the term of service of a council member. They could retire whenever they liked, or the family or group could ask them to stand down so another could be appointed (although this was a rare occurrence). The council made decisions about land use, hunting quotas, and other things that affected the Herrialdaketa as a whole. The problems of pregnancy and childbirth in a telepathic race are quite unique. The first problem that can arise is the disturbances of an unshielded telepath (i.e. the baby) exposed to all the thoughts and feelings of everyone around. The babies depend greatly on their mothers to shield them, especially during the last months of gestation when their brains are fully formed. Another problem is the birth itself. The baby must be constantly monitored for mental distress, as the birth is a rather traumatic occasion. A special group of healers, the erditzaile, were trained specifically to deal with these problems. Note: the term midwife is used in this text, but the English translation is imprecise. Erditzaile could be male or female. Mating customs among the Herrialdaketa were simple. Once a year during the summer festival (held during the summer solstice) couples who decided to join together were bonded during the ezkontarazi (mating ceremony). Although the decision to mate was mutual, in the formal ceremony the female would "lay claim" to the man she wished as her mate, hearkening back to an older time when it was customary within the tribe for the women to chose. The bonding was similar in some ways to the European concept of marriage, with the pair considered mated for life, shared the same property, etc. However, mating was considered more of a property and family merger. Monogamy was a matter of choice rather than a tradition, and it was not present in all matings. The Herrialdaketa viewed sex as a part of life, and participated with few taboos except for the obvious familial/incest ones. Sex with one's relatives at the first cousin level or closer was prohibited, as was rape or child molestation. Otherwise, it was pretty much anything goes (albeit privately, public displays were frowned upon). For instance, there was no tradition of "saving" oneself for marriage, and most of the Herrialdaketa became sexually active soon after puberty. Bonded couples would usually refer to each other as ezkontide (mate) in public. In this text it is translated as "husband" or "wife" for simplicity, but the translations are again imprecise. As with most titles, ezkontide was unisex, and a closer translation might be "mate" or "spouse". (to be continued in chapter 2) ------------------ All questions/comments/criticisms/flames to me at liddiard@bs1.prc.com or GrinnyP@aol.com Carol Ann =========================================================================